Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk
16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 23, 2018
Catalan Opening E00

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. e3 Bxd2+ 7. Qxd2 d5 8. Nf3 dxc4 9. 0-0 e5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. dxe5 Qxe5 12. Na3 Be6!? Just two lines from the Magna Carta: 12. ... 0-0 13. Nxc4 Qe7 14. Rac1 Rd8 15. Qa5 c6 16. b4 Be6 17. Qc5 Qxc5 18. bxc5 Nd7 19. Na5 Rab8 20. a4 g6 21. h3 Nxc5 22. Rxc5 b6 23. Rxc6 bxa5 24. Rc5 Rd2 25. Rxa5 Rbb2 26. Rc5 Ra2 27. a5 Ra3 28. g4 Rda2 29. Bd5 Bxd5 30. Rxd5 Rxa5 31. Rfd1 Rxd5 32. Rxd5 h6 33. Kg2 a5 34. h4 Kg7 35. h5 g5 36. Kf3 Ra4 37. Rc5 Kf6 38. Rc6+ Kg7 39. Ra6 Kh7 40. Kg3 Ra3 41. Kg2 ½ : ½ Carlsen – Papaioannou, 20th European Team Chess Championship, Reykjavík 2015. 13. Rac1 Ne4

14. Qd4. The two-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion, in spite of her young age, plays safe and prefers not to challenge Ivanchuk’s resourcefulness and creativity in lines such as 14. Qb4 Nd6 15. Bxb7 Nxb7 16. Qxb7 0-0 17. Nxc4 Qh5 for the mere satisfaction of a Pawn. 14. ... Qxd4 15. exd4 Nd6 16. d5 Bd7 17. Nxc4 Kd8 18. Nxd6 cxd6 19. f4 Re8 20. Kf2 Rc8 21. Rxc8+ Kxc8 22. Re1 Rxe1 23. Kxe1. And now not even Mandrake will beat her. 23. ... Kc7 24. Kd2 Kb6 25. Kc3 Kc5 26. b4+ Kb6 27. Be4 h6 28. Bd3 Kc7 29. Kd4 Kd8 30. h4 Ke7 31. a3 Kf6 32. Ke3 g5 33. hxg5+ hxg5 34. Bc2 Bf5 35. Bd1 Kg6 36. Be2 Kh6 37. g4 Bc2 38. f5 Kg7 39. Kd4 Bb3 40. Bf3 Kf6 41. Be2 Ke7 42. Bf3 f6 43. Kc3 Ba4 44. Kd2 Kd8 45. Bd1 Bb5 46. Be2 Bd7 47. Bd1 Kc7 48. a4 Kb6 49. Kc3 a5 50. Kc4 Ka6 51. b5+ Kb6 52. Bc2 ½ : ½.

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina vs. Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk. Photo © Sophie Triay.